Nandina domestica cv. &#34;Greray&#34;

ABSTRACT

A new variety of Nandina domestica having significant and improved characteristics not known to exist in either the variety &#34;Harbour Dwarf&#34; of which this new plant is a genetic mutant or the general species Nandina domestica. These characteristics include a symmetrical, densely mounding and compact form.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

This invention relates to the discovery and asexual propagation of a newand distinct variety of Nandina domestica (a member of the Berberidaciafamily that is commonly known as "Heavenly Bamboo"). The new plantvariety was discovered as a mutant of the Nandina domestica nanacultivar named "Harbour Dwarf" in a cultivated bed of "Harbour Dwarf"plants that were growing in the Greenleaf Nursery Company, El Campo,Tex. The new variety of Nandina domestica nana has been named "Greray".

The "Greray" mutant exhibited vastly different growing characteristicsthan those common to the "Harbour Dwarf" variety-particularly in thatthe "Greray" variety has a dwarf habit of growth when compared to theNandina domestica progenitor "Heavenly Bamboo", but it is not as dwarfas its parent Nandina domestica nana "Harbour Dwarf". The new "Greray"variety is symmetrical, densely mounding and compact in form whichdifferentiates and distinguishes it not only from its parent "HarbourDwarf" and from its progenitor "Heavenly Bamboo", but also from relatedcultivars such as the variety called "Compacta". The new "Greray"cultivar is freely branching from basal and lateral buds and thus formsa tight compact globe. Its leaves are tripinnately compound.

Testing and evaluation has shown the "Greray" variety to be stable inits distinguishing characteristics over several succeeding generationsupon asexual propagation by using shoot cuttings and by tissue culturingat a nursery in El Campo, Tex.

The "Greray" variety fully lives up to the "Heavenly Bamboo" common nameoften given to this family of plants. Orange hued new growth radiatescrown-like upward while refreshing green mature growth extendshorizontally to present a perky, full foliaged appearance. The refinedtexture of this plant is desirable for formal or casual settings. Thefullness and controlled height of this dwarf nandina make it a primechoice when accent or foundation plantings are needed.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the new "Greray" variety in coloras grown in a nursery in El Campo, Tex. and also enable comparing"Greray" to its progenitor "Heavenly Bamboo", to its parent "HarbourDwarf", and to another related Nandina domestica cultivar known as"Compacta"; the photographs also show the coloration of new, semi-matureand mature foliage of the new "Greray" variety.

In FIG. 1:

FIG. 1-A is a color photograph of a mature, unpruned parent Nandinadomestica "Harbour Dwarf".

FIG. 1-B is a color photograph of a mature, unpruned progenitor Nandinadomestica "Heavenly Bamboo."

FIG. 1-C is a color photograph of another mature, unpruned Nandinadomestica cultivar known as "Compacta."

FIG. 1-D is a color photograph of a 28 month old unpruned "Greray"nandina grown from softwood cuttings taken from the original mother.

FIG. 2 is a color photograph of a mature, unpruned parent Nandinadomestica "Harbour Dwarf" (on the left) and (on the right) the "Greray"plant of FIG. 1-D.

FIG. 3 is a color photograph of a mature, unpruned progenitor Nandinadomestica "Heavenly bamboo" (on the left) and (on the right) the"Greray" planat of FIG. 1-D.

FIG. 4 is a color photograph of another mature, unpruned Nandinadomestica cultivar known as "Compacta" (on the left) and (on the right)the "Greray" plant of FIG. 1-D.

FIG. 5 is a color photograph of a close up of the new foliage of the"Greray" variety superimposed by the matching color card of the GreyedOrange group R.H.S. 166.

FIG. 6 is a color photograph of a close up of the semi-mature foliage ofthe "Greray" variety superimposed by the matching color card of theYellow-Green group R.H.S. 146.

FIG. 7 is a color photograph of a close up of the mature foliage of the"Greray" variety superimposed by the matching color card of the Greengroup R.H.S. 139.

Throughout this specification, color names beginning with a small lettersignify that the name of that color as used in common speech is aptlydescriptive. Color names beginning with a capital letter designatevalues based on The R.H.S. Colour Chart published by The RoyalHorticultural Society of London, England.

The descriptive matter which follows pertains to the "Greray" variety ofNandina domestica plants and related cultivars grown outdoors in ElCampo, Tex., and is believed to apply to plants of the "Greray" varietygrown in similar conditions of soil and climate elsewhere.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

Name: Nandina domestica nana Greray

Parentage: A mutation of asexually propagated Nandina domestica nana"Harbour Dwarf".

Size: Ultimate mature height at 24-36 months will be 24-36".

Growth habit: Dwarf, symmetrical densely compact mound. The plantbranches freely from basal and lateral buds.

Foliage:

Arrangement.--Alternate, tri-pinnately compound, evergreen.

Size.--20 cm to 23 cm (mature foliage).

Shape and form.--Leaflets are elliptic-lanceolate and ascending.Leaflets are apex and basal acute.

Leaflet width.--Varies between 8 mm and 17 mm.

Leaflet length.--Varies between 17 mm and 55 mm.

Stem form.--Upright.

Texture: Medium.

Flowers: Perfect flowers that are slightly pink in bud, turning whitewith yellow anthers; each flower is about 1/4" to 3/8" across, borne inerect terminal panicles about 8-15" long; flowering occurs in April/Mayin southern temperate zones.

Color:

                  TABLE I                                                         ______________________________________                                        TOP SIDE OF LEAF                                                                                            GULF-                                           GRERAY         MOON BAY       STREAM                                          ______________________________________                                        New    Greyed-     Yellow-Green 152 A                                                                           Greyed-                                     Foliage                                                                              Orange 174 A               Orange 174 A                                Mature Green 138 A Yellow-Green 152 B                                                                           Yellow-                                     Foliage                           Green 147 B                                 Old    Green 139 A Yellow-Green 147 A                                                                           Green 139 A                                 Foliage                                                                       ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE II                                                        ______________________________________                                        UNDER SIDE OF LEAF                                                            GRERAY        MOON BAY    GULF STREAM                                         ______________________________________                                        New    Greyed-    Greyed-     Yellow-Green 148 B                              Foliage                                                                              Orange 177 C                                                                             Orange 177 D                                                Mature Yellow-    Yellow-     Yellow-Green 148 B                              Foliage                                                                              Green 146 B                                                                              Green 148 C                                                 Old    Greyed-    Yellow-     Green 138 A                                     Foliage                                                                              Green 191 A                                                                              Green 147 B                                                 ______________________________________                                    

Climatic range: This plant has survived winter temperatures as low as 5°F. in trials in our Northeastern Oklahoma growing grounds which issomewhat indicative of its parentage which is hardy to Zone 6 USDA.

Table III below is a comparison of the Nandina domestica nana "Greray"with its parent "Harbour Dwarf" and with other related Nandinavarieties, including "Compacta," "Heavenly Bamboo," "Moon Bay," "GulfStream" and "Lowboy."

                  TABLE III                                                       ______________________________________                                                  GRERAY          HARBOUR DWARF                                       ______________________________________                                        Size      24"-36"         18"-24"                                                       at maturity     at maturity                                         Growth Habit                                                                            Dwarf, symmetrical,                                                                           Extremely dense,                                              densely compact very dwarf form.                                              mound branches                                                                freely from basal                                                             and lateral buds.                                                   Foliage   Alternate, tri-pinn                                                                           Alternate, tri-pinn                                           compound, evergreen.                                                                          compound, evergreen.                                          Leaflets are                                                                  17-15 mm long, and                                                            8-17 mm wide.                                                       Texture   Medium          Fine                                                Flowers   Perfect flowers Perfect flowers                                               that are slightly                                                                             that are slightly                                             pink in bud turning                                                                           pink in bud turning                                           white with yellow                                                                             white with yellow                                             anthers, each flower                                                                          anthers, each flower                                          is 1/4" to 3/8" is 1/4" to 3/8"                                               across, borne in                                                                              across, borne in                                              erect terminal  erect terminal                                                panicles 8-15" long.                                                                          panicles 8-15" long.                                          Flowering occurs in                                                                           Flowering occurs in                                           April/May in    April/May in                                                  Southern temperate                                                                            Southern temperate                                            zones.          zones.                                                        Flowering is not as                                                           profuse as Nandina                                                            domestica, but is very                                                        similar to parent                                                             `Harbour Dwarf`.                                                    Fruit     None observed to                                                                              Few small red                                                 date, but expect                                                                              berries in fall                                               to see a few red                                                              berries set in                                                                the clustered                                                                 flower heads.                                                       ______________________________________                                                  COMPACTA      HEAVENLY BAMBOO                                       ______________________________________                                        Size      5'-6'         5'-6'                                                           at maturity   at maturity                                           Growth Habit                                                                            More dense than                                                                             Upright, generally                                              parent, Heavenly                                                                            unbranched, tends                                               Bamboo, with a                                                                              to open up its                                                  more rhizonous                                                                              foliage density                                                 habit of      nearer the base                                                 spreading.    exposing multiple                                                             canes or shoots.                                      Foliage   Alternate, twice                                                                            Alternate, twice                                                or thrice compound                                                                          thrice compound,                                                with leaflets leaflets are                                                    slightly smaller                                                                            25-38 mm long,                                                  than Heavenly evergreen.                                                      Bamboo (20-30                                                                 mm), evergreen.                                                     Texture   Medium        Medium                                                Flowers   Perfect flowers                                                                             Perfect flowers                                                 that are slightly                                                                           that are slightly                                               pink in bud turning                                                                         pink in bud turning                                             white with yellow                                                                           white with yellow                                               anthers, each flower                                                                        anthers, each flower                                            is 1/4" to 3/8"                                                                             is 1/4" to 3/8"                                                 across, borne in                                                                            across, borne in                                                erect terminal                                                                              erect terminal                                                  panicles 8-15" long.                                                                        panicles 8-15" long.                                            Flowering occurs in                                                                         Flowering occurs in                                             April/May in  April/May in                                                    Southern temperate                                                                          Southern temperate                                              zones.        zones.                                                Fruit     Clusters of small                                                                           Clusters of small                                               red berries in                                                                              red berries in                                                  fall.         fall.                                                 ______________________________________                                                   MOON BAY       GULF STREAM                                         ______________________________________                                        Size       20"            30"                                                            at maturity    at maturity                                         Growth Habit                                                                             Dwarf, symmetrial,                                                                           Dwarf, symmetrical                                             tight globular densely compact,                                               shape. Branches                                                                              solitary form.                                                 freely from basal                                                                            Branches freely                                                and lateral buds                                                                             from basal and                                                 developing multiple                                                                          lateral buds,                                                  upright stems with                                                                           giving a full                                                  ascending petiole,                                                                           round erect                                                    rachis, petiolule                                                                            shape.                                                         and leaflets. The                                                             cultivar does not                                                             appear to spread                                                              by rhizones.                                                       Foliage    Alternate, 2-3 pinn,                                                                         Alternate, tripin-                                             compound, evergreen,                                                                         nately compound,                                               leaflets 19 cm to                                                                            evergreen, leaflets                                            26.7 cm long, leaflet                                                                        are elliptic                                                   are elliptic-  lanceolate,                                                    lanceloate, sharply                                                                          slightly concave,                                              concave, ascending.                                                                          ascending leaflet,                                             Leaflet 12.7-5.1 mm                                                                          length varies                                                  long by 6.4-12.7 mm                                                                          between 13 mm and                                              wide.          51 mm.                                              Texture    Medium         Medium                                              Flowers    None observed  None observed                                       Fruit      None observed. None observed.                                      ______________________________________                                                             LOWBOY                                                   ______________________________________                                                   Size      24"-36"                                                                       at maturity                                                         Growth Habit                                                                            Stoloniferous; dense                                                          compact, mounded                                                              spreading habit. In                                                           Semmes, AL, there is                                                          more-or-less contin-                                                          uous growth from                                                              June to August.                                                     Foliage   10"-16" long leaf,                                                            16"-24" wide.                                                                 leaflets are 1/2" to                                                          2" long, 8"-12" wide.                                                         Tripinnately compound                                                         leaflets, subsessile,                                                         elliptic-lanceolate,                                                          cuneate, prominent                                                            midveins, secondary                                                           veins scarcely                                                                noticeable. Leaflets                                                          composed of up to                                                             170, 1/2 to 2" long,                                                          one-half size of                                                              species.                                                            Texture   Somewhat leathery                                                   Flowers   Small white flowers                                                           in May and June                                                     Fruit     Small red berry                                                               on 3-4 yr. old plants                                    ______________________________________                                    

I claim:
 1. The new and distinct variety of Nandina domestica nanacalled "Greray" as illustrated and described.